Clothesline



Jan. 5, 1965 F. L. CAVALLERI CLOTHESLINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 22 1963 INVENTOR.

' FRANKLC/ll ALLER/ AI'TORNEYS F. L. CAVALLERI CLOTHESLINE Jan. 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 22, 1965 INVENTOR. FEAN/(LCAVALLE'E/ BY 3,164,258 CLOTHESLINE Frank Louis Cavalleri, 760 67th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed July 22, 1963, Ser. No. 296,845 2 Claims. (Cl. 211--119.16)

This invention relates to a clothesline and refers more particularly to a clothesline particularly suited for use indoors in confined spaces. Many householders launder their clothes at home. In order to dry the wetwash, the householder may erect a temporary clothesline in a basement, bathroom or other convenient location. When the clothes are dried, it is generally necessary to take down the clothesline as it is in most cases unsightly, and interferes with the normal use of the space wherein it has been erected. For example, a clothesline in a bathroom is in many cases strung over the bath tub. Thus, a person wishing to take a shower must remove the clothesline in order to stand erect in the tub.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a clothesline for drying clothes which may be permanently erected within a home while occupying only a minimum of space therein.

Another object is to provide a clothesline which may be easily erected in any convenient location within a home.

Still another object is to provide a permanent clothesline which may be folded up when not in use so as to oifer no interference with the otherwise normal occupancy of the space wherein it is erected.

Another object is to provide a clothesline which is easy to operate from the standpoint of unfolding it for use and folding-up when not in use.

A further object is to provide a clothesline which can support a large quantity of wet clothes for drying.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In achieving the aforementioned objectives of the present invention, it was found advantageous to provide a clothesline which comprises a pair of parallel arranged spaced apart lazy-tongs mechanisms which may be connected to opposing supportingsurfaces such as the walls of a bath tub enclosure. The lazy-tongs mechanisms are mounted in tracks so that they may be extended out from a retracted position in a substantially horizontal plane. The pivots of each succeeding pair of arms in the lazytongs mechanisms are provided with an eye for receiving a rope. Thus, a plurality of ropes or supporting lines for clothes may be connected between the lazy-tongs mechanisms at right angles thereto. Actuating rods are provided on each lazy-tong mechanism for easy and rapid extension and retraction thereof.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings showing by way of example, preferred embodiments of the inventive concept.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a bath tub enclosure showing supported therein, a clothesline constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view as taken along line 11-11 of FIGURE 1 and illustrates one of the lazytong mechanisms in its retracted or non-use position.

FIGURE 3 is the same as FIGURE 2 except that the lazy-tong mechanism is shown in its extended or use position.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view in enlarged scale as taken along line IV1V in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view in enlarged scale as taken along line V-V in FIGURE 3.

United States Patent C) m 3,164,258 Patented Jan. 5, 1965 FIGURE 6 is a sectional view in enlarged scale as taken along line VI-VI in FIGURE 3.

, FIGURE 7 is a transverse sectional view of another form of'construction wherein the support bracket and lazy-tong mechanism track are an integral unit.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a lazy-tong mechanism roller member showing another manner of connecting the actuating rod thereto.

Throughout the specification like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts. I

As seen in FIGURE 1, the clothesline 10 comprises lazy-tongs mechanisms 11 and 12 which are preferably supported on opposing surfaces as for example, the end walls 13 and 14 of a bath tub enclosure in a home. The lazy-tong mechanism 11 and 12 are thus arranged in parallel, spaced apart alignment and cooperate to support ropes or lines 15 which are connected therebetween.

The lazy-tongs mechanisms 11 and 12 are alike in all respects except that one may be termed a right hand unit, and the other a left hand unit, however, further description of their construction will refer only to lazy-tong mechanism 11 illustrated in FIGURES 2 to 6. The lazytong mechanism 11 includes a channel member 16 which may be attached to wall member 13 by means of screws 17 (FIG. 1). Channel member 16 having inturned flanges constitutes a track for supporting the scissor arms of the scissor mechanism. The lazy-tong mechanism comprises a plurality of pairs of arms 18 and 19. The arms in each pair of arms are connected together at mid-length on a shaft 20 and are rotatable thereon. The ends of the arms 18 and 19 are connected to the ends of adjacent pairs of arms by pins 21. Shaft 20 also carries a roller member 22 which is supported by the flanges 23 and 24 on channel member 16, the roller member 22 being loosely mounted on shaft 20. A spacer piece 25 is mounted on shaft 20 between the roller member 22 and arms 18 and 19. The foregoing thus enables the various pairs of arms to he slid longitudinally along the track in channel member 16 from the retracted position shown in FIGURE 2 to the fully extended position shown in FIGURE 3.

Sliding of the terminal arms 18' and 15 of the lazytong mechanismis prevented by means of anchor pins 26 and 27 extending vertically through the channel 16 on each side of roller 22' as seen in FIGURES 3 and 5. The shaft 20' supporting arms 18' and 19' also extends through the channel and is secured thereto by means of a nut 2%.

Each roller shaft 20 is provided with an eye 29 to which is connected the ends of the support ropes 15 (FIGURES 4 and 5).

The extension and retraction of lazy-tong mechanism 11 is effected by means of an actuating rod 30 which is connected at one end with one pair of arms 18" and 19" (FIG. 3) by means of an eye 31 which encloses the shaft 20 supporting these arms (FIG. 4). The other end of the actuating rod 30 is provided with a knob 32 by means of which the user may easily grasp the actuating rod. The actuating rod is supported under channel 16 by means of rings 33 firmly connected with the channel as shown in FIGURE 6.

In operation:

Assume that the lazy-tongs mechanisms 11 and 12 have been erected in a bath tub enclosure as shown in FIGURE 1 and that they are in the retracted position as shown in FIGURE 2. The user who intends to hang wet clothes in the clothesline, merely grasps the actuating rod 32 on both lazy-tongs mechanisms and pulls them in the direction of arrow A (FIG. 2) which will cause the lazystong mechanism to extend longitudinally in the channel in the position shown in FIGURE 3. The distance actuating rod 32 must be moved is relatively short the position of the rod corresponding to the extended position of the lazy- With the lazy-tongs mechanisms 11 and 12in their fully extended positions, the clothesline will present to the user a plurality of spaced apart, parallel arranged supporting lines 15 whereon he may hang the clothes to be dried Thus for example in a bathroom Where the end walls of a tub enclosure may be 6 feet apart, the lazy-tong mechanism illustrated providea total clothesline length of 60-72'feet.

In some applications, it may not be feasible to use standard channel members ior supporting the lazy-tongs mechanisms inasmuch as it may not be possible to insert screws through them for supporting them on a wall surface. For that reason it may be preferable to utilize the mounting bracket 40 illustrated in FIGURE 7. The mounting bracket 40 has an'elongated, relatively wide body 41 which may be made of plastic. The body 41 is provided with longitudinally directed recess 42 which constitutes a track wherein the various roller members 43 of the lazy-tong mechanism 44 are supported. The mounting bracket is supported on the supporting wall 45 by means of a number of eccentric head type screws 46 arranged along both the upper and lower margins of the mounting bracket; A particular advantage of this arrangement is that the eccentric head screws may be first positioned in the supporting surface where it is frequently necessary to find studs on beams to provide a good anchor. The eccentric heads 47 are usually then directed upwardly and downwardly as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 7 so that the mounting bracket can be slipped in between them. The eccentric heads 47 are then turned 180 degrees to engage the mounting bracket as shown.

The mounting bracket 40 is also provided with rings 48 which may be integral with the bracket for supporting actuating rod 49. 1

FIGURE 8 illustrates another manner of connecting the actuating rod 49 to a roller member 43. The roller member 43 is provided with a hole 50 for receiving the end of the actuating rod and thus difiers from the arrangement shown in FIGURE 3 where the actuating rod has an tong mechanism being shown in broken lines in FIGURE 7 from the scope of the inventive concept herein disclosed.

What is claimed is:

l. A clothesline comprising a pair of parallel arranged, spaced apart mounting brackets, each of said mounting brackets having a relatively wide body and a longitudinally directed recess in said body, a lazy-tongs mechanism slidably supported in the longitudinal recess in each of said mounting brackets, each of said lazy-tongs mechanisms comprising a plurality of pairs of interconnected arms, a separate shaft supporting each pair of arms at an intermediate portion, and a roller member enclosing each shaft and loosely supported in the recess in each of said mounting brackets, each of said lazy-tongs mechanisms being movable in said mounting bracket from a retracted position wherein said pairs of arms are arranged in folded up alongside adjacent relation to an extended position wherein said pairs of arms are arranged in end on end relation and align with the pairs of arms in the other lazytong mechanism, and a plurality of support lines connected with and extending between the aligned pairs of arms in each of said lazy-tongs mechanisms.

2. A clothesline comprising a pair of parallel arranged, spaced apart channel members having inturned edges, 2 lazy-tongs mechanism associated with each of said channel members, each of said lazy-tongs mechanism comprising a plurality of pairs of interconnected arms, a separate shaft supporting each pair of arms at an intermediate portion, roller members enclosing each shafit and being loosely supported in said channel members, each of said lazytongs mechanisms being movable in said channel members from a retracted position wherein said pairs of arms are arranged in folded up alongside adjacent relation to an extended position wherein said pairs of arms are arranged in end on end relation and align with the pairs of arms in the other lazy-tongs mechanism, and a plurality of support lines connected with and extending between the aligned pairs of arms in each of said lazy-tongs mechamsms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 894,560 Woerner July 28, 1908 904,970 Lamp Nov. 24, 1908 2,651,056 Billet Sept. 8, 1953 2,868,388 Grites Jan. 13, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 176,000 Switzerland Mar. 31, 1935 299,385 Great Britain Feb. 14, 1929 614,691 France Dec. 20, 1926 

2. A CLOTHESLINE COMPRISING A PAIR OF PARALLEL ARRANGED, SPACED APART CHANNEL MEMBERS HAVING INTURNED EDGES, A LAZY-TONGS MECHANISM ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID CHANNEL MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID LAZY-TONGS MECHANISM COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF INTERCONNECTD ARMS, A SEPARATE SHAFT SUPPORTING EACH PAIR OF ARMS AT AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION, ROLLER MEMBERS ENCLOSING EACH SHAFT AND BEING LOOSELY SUPPORTED IN SAID CHANNEL MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID LAZYTONGS MECHANISMS BEING MOVABLE IN SAID CHANNEL MEMBERS FROM A RETRACTED POSITION WHEREIN SAID PAIRS OF ARMS ARE ARRANNGED IN FOLDED UP ALONGSIDE ADJACENT RELATION TO AN EXTENDED POSITION WHEREIN SAID PAIRS OF ARMS ARE ARRANGED IN END ON END RELATION AND ALIGN WITH THE PAIRS OF ARMS IN THE OTHER LAZY-TONGS MECHANISM, AND A PLURALITY OF SUPPORT LINES CONNECTED WITH AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE ALIGNED PAIRS OF ARMS IN EACH OF SAID LAZY-TONGS MECHANISMS. 